• by Wayne Friedman , April 17, 2013

Young TV viewers have increasingly been moving to online platforms for some time. Twenty-seven percent of U.S. online 18- to-24-year-olds now watch five or more hours per week online. In addition, 29% of viewers 18 to 24 watch between one and four hours; 17% watch under one hour, and 28% watch no video online.

Heavy usage of online programming drops among older viewers according to Forrester Research results, which show that among 25- to-49-year-olds, 12% watch five or more hours; 18% watch between one and four hours; 20% view under one hour; and 50% watch no video online.  Among older viewers -- 35- to-44-year-olds -- only 9% watch five or more hours per week.

Overall, more than 60% of young TV viewers watch some programming online, with 22% of U.S. online adults watching at least some of their video entertainment on Netflix, and 17% from TV networks’ own Web sites.

Forrester says there has been an overall 18% hike in online viewing in the U.S. between 2012 and 2010. These results came from data of more than 60,000 North American survey respondents in April and May 2012.

Jim Nail, a media analyst at Forrester, writes: “This season’s surprisingly low ratings have motivated even the major networks to adjust to a future of time-shifted and multiplatform viewing -- one that challenges their grip on prime-time audiences."

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